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If you haven’t heard, nickjr has a new show called Wallykazam. It’s a fun show geared toward preschool-aged children that promotes literacy. The show is fun, colorful, and educational. Because it’s only been on tv for a few weeks, nickjr does not have merchandise available. For my children who watch the show everyday, that’s a problem. So, last night I broke down and made Wallykazam t-shirts for them.

Nickjr is amazing for multiple reasons, one being that they offer free printables, crafts, etc. The image I used on the girls’ shirts was available online. I simply added a layered border to make the image stand out more on the shirts.

If you’d like to make your own Wallykazam shirt like the ones shown above, you can download my free printable here: Wallykazam T-Shirt Printable. Simply print the image onto Avery transfer paper (I used “Dark Transfers”), trim the excess areas, and iron onto your t-shirt. The shirts are available at Hobby Lobby for $3.99 in an array of colors. Take along your 40% coupon, and the shirt is yours for $2.39. For less than $5.00, you can purchase all the supplies needed to create an adorable shirt for your child.

To learn more about Wallykazam, click here. At the provided link you can download Wallykazam printables, watch episodes, and play online games–all for free.

In the midst of snow day #2 in Texas (this never happens!), and considering my 5 year old just built her first snowman, I can’t help but have “Frozen” on my mind–Do you wanna build a snowman?… So, for our afternoon snack the girls and I put together a quick snowflake treat that we think Elsa would approve of. This was also a trial run for our upcoming “Frozen” party (this summer!): white chocolate covered pretzels dusted with blue sanding sugar and topped with an Elsa card that we snagged from Subway earlier in the week.

If you’ve never made chocolate covered pretzels, please try it! They are fairly quick to make, only require two ingredients (three if you use sugar or sprinkles), and are adored by adults and kids alike. Using regular pretzels results in a unique shape that resembles snowflake pieces, but dipped pretzel rods would also make a fun icicle-shaped treat for your party.

For a party treat, make them days in advance!

INGREDIENTS:

Almond bark or Wilton melting chips

Pretzels

Sanding sugar or sprinkles (optional)

Parchment Paper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals until the chocolate is completely melted, stirring between each interval (you must stir the chocolate each time or the layer against the sides of the bowl will scorch!).
2. Drop a pretzel into the bowl, cover with chocolate, and then lift out with a fork (I place the pretzel flat on a large dinner fork). Then, tap the handle of the fork on the side of your bowl a few times to cause the excess chocolate to drop off.

3. Slide the pretzel onto a piece of parchment paper (aluminum foil will also work). Top with sanding sugar or sprinkles now, as they will begin to setup after a few minutes.

4. Allow the pretzels to sit for approximately 20 minutes. If you’d like to speed up the process, slide the parchment paper onto a plate and slip it in the fridge for about 10 minutes.

5. You’re pretzels are now ready to eat. If you’re making them ahead for a party, store them in an airtight container (I use a zip-lock bag) for up to a week.

It’s not everyday (or year) that the kids get a “snow day” in Texas. But today they did. Yesterday I grabbed a little garden greenhouse set for the girls to plant seeds this winter in preparation for Spring, and I decided that a snow day is a great day to bring that life inside. Although they do love playing with the ice-sickles and frozen items outside, they need to warm up every now and then too. So, I put them to “work”. To make your own greenhouse project, grab a small plastic box like the one below (I got one that’s already setup at Lowes with small soil pods) and a few packages of seeds.

Since I have two children planting, I let them divide each package into two bowl–and then had them count the seeds for good measure 🙂

Next, fill a watering can with warm water and pour over the soil disks. The water (if warm enough) will make them expand, and then you can add the seeds. I have used soil disks before that were to be soaked in a bowl of water, which is quite effective too if you aren’t using a self-watering greenhouse like this one.

We added about 4 pepper seeds to each pod, and 2 sunflower seeds to each pod (we had some seeds left over). The container that we used has 32 pods, but they sell larger (and smaller) sets.

If you’d like, add labels to your rows so that you can tell your plants apart. You can download the file for the 2″ circle labels that I created for our greenhouse by clicking HERE. If you’d like to use a 1″ circle, print the file at 75%. I used a 1″ scalloped circle and taped them to toothpicks.

Next, put the lid on top, place near a sunny window, water your seeds every couple of days, and watch them grow!

Note: As you see here, the plastic lid will become foggy. This is supposed to happens–it means your plants are warm and hydrated!

Enjoy growing plants with your little ones and explaining the beauty of life with them!

At this point my family and I have seen Disney’s Frozen more than once–and both of my girls want a “Frozen party”. The downside: their birthdays are in the summer. The upside: I have 6+ months to plan.

While in the theater last night, I noticed that the ice block scene if very powerful. And given my recent soap-making hobby, I made a connection: glycerin soap blocks look a lot like ice blocks.

Obviously, soap blocks won’t melt–regardless of how hot it is–and they’ll make adorable, realistic looking decorations. Once the party is over, send the girls home with a few blocks in their goody bags. Or, let the girls make soap as the party craft. It’s quick and simple to make, plus it’s a favor that the kids can actually use (and be proud of)! If you’d like to purchase snowflake favors instead of making your own, click the image below.

If you’ve never made melt and pour soap, check out my previous soap tutorial blog post by clicking here. Remember to visit my blog again for more party planning tips, and feel free to message me with your own.